Hole drilling

[jrcflyer]

Forgive me if this already posted. A friend said he could drill press my holes in baffles. As he put it, a few are slightly off. For me slightly off says baffle strike. Now I have no idea how I will finish my project? I am considering buying a small metal lathe to drill exact center.
Can anyone here advise me the best way to drill exact holes?
I have studied for decades, and invested serious bucks. My Son is also disappointed. Any help and advice is greatly appreciated!

[fishman]

A mill or lathe, and a center drill

[John A.]

I think I replied in your other thread but was a different subject of lathes.

I'm just going to point out the elephant in the room and say if you have studied for decades, you should've known that your friend wasn't supposed to do that without proper licensing and committed a felony in doing so. Don't know why so many people come on here saying that. The whole point of a form 1 To make and register a firearm is for YOU to make a silencer. Not someone else make one for you.

If you can't make one; don't.

Buy one on a form 4 and be done with it.

My reply may come across as harsh or butt-holish, Though isn't meant to be, but I am known for my candid honesty.

Now, I'm going to put my arm around you and try to help you the best that I can. Here are your options to try to remedy the situation.

Put the can on the gun you plan to use and insert a guide rod through it and into the barrel bore so you know it's in-line with the barrel. Look down in there while inserting a baffle at a time and see if the bore touches the rod (*or is too close to the rod).

You may have to over-bore (some or all) of the baffle bores. You may have to arrange and rearrange them so nothing is touching.

Usually the closer you are to the muzzle, the tighter your baffle bore can probably get away with. The farther away, the wider the bore you'll probably need. This is due mostly to stacking tolerances.

Ultimately and worst case, you may have to destroy them before you have completed the build and re-do them altogether.

Regardless, once it's together and you've fired a shot, you can no longer legally replace and redo the baffles yourself. You would have to hire a manufacturer to rebuild it for you, which also is not going to be cheap to do.

But you'd get a functional piece in the end and is cheaper than buying your own lathe.

[jrcflyer]

Sorry I left out to much information. A physical condition prevents some activities. I am doing this the proper way I have a family member who tries to assist with things I cannot do myself.

[John A.]

I can understand that. Sorry to come across sounding like I was busting your chops, but there have been several fairly recent new accounts mirroring basically the same comments and ATF has enough material out there saying they frown on it.

I do hope my suggestion helps salvage your project. I really hope it works out.

[fishman]

I'm just going to point out the elephant in the room and say if you have studied for decades, you should've known that your friend wasn't supposed to do that without proper licensing and committed a felony in doing so

if OP's friend is a responsible person in OP's trust then this is fine.

[John A.]

Very good point. Duly noted.